Intravenous fluids are being utilized with increasing frequency, and generally are administered through a conventional steel needle or an intravenous catheter. Steel needles are less irritating to veins than catheters but are difficult to immobilize if rigidly connected to a holder. The use of a syringe for insertion of a needle, necessitates disconnecting the needle and its associated attachments to the intravenous tubing, which frequently dislocates the needle. The use of catheters, on the other hand, is associated with a significant increase in the incidence of phlebitis.